


Gale’s Christmas

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blind Date, Christmas Party, F/M, Hijinks & Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-19 20:04:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17008308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: Prompt by MegaAULover: Katniss is tired of Gale being the 3rd wheel, he's been dumped and acting like Ross from friends. Peeta suggests pairing him with Delly who has been single for 3 years. Think hijinks and shenanigans to get these two together.





	Gale’s Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MegaAuLover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaAuLover/gifts).



> Work of fanfiction. I own nothing.
> 
> For MegaAULover who loves “Gally”?
> 
> M for language and adult situations. Not completely explicit. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine.

“Pizzaaa!”

Gale came home earlier than expected and talk about coitus interruptus!

“Gale! Que diablos haces en casa?” I screamed at the top of my lungs, wondering what the hell was he doing home already as I fell off my boyfriend’s lap, effectively disconnecting our bodies.

“Fuck!” Groaned Gale covering his eyes and stepping back out of the door, pizza box in hand precariously tilted. “I’m sorry, Catnip. Peeta. My bad. Se me olvidó!”

“Se te olvidó?!” I screeched. “How could you forget if we talked about this ten times? You even made a note in your calendar!”

“Hey, it’s okay, sweetheart.” Peeta soothed, rubbing one of my arms one handed while trying to put his clothes to right.

There was a pregnant pause while Peeta and scrambled as fast as we could to put ourselves back together, though we were only partially naked. Peeta just gotten into town for Christmas break, and it had been 4 and half long weeks since we last saw each other, during Thanksgiving break. We just didn’t quite make it to my bedroom in time.

“So… um… you’re gonna sanitize that loveseat when you’re done, right?” My cousin has the gall to ask, as if I wasn’t ready to tear him a new one for walking in on us already.

“Gale, I swear to God, te voy a romper los dientes si no te callas ahora mismo!”

Peeta’s arms circles my waist, pulling me short from going after Gale making good on my threat to knock out his teeth for taunting me. “Whoa, tiger! Maybe we shouldn’t react while emotions are so high? I bet Gale didn’t mean to ruin anything. Right Gale?” Peeta calls out, signaling it’s okay for my cousin to join us now.

I’m so unbelievably angry though.

Gale has the good sense to look contrite. “De verdad lo siento, Catnip. I didn’t mean to walk in on you… it was a bit disturbing and a total breach of respect on my part.”

“Damn right!” I seeth. “What are you doing home anyways? I thought you had plans with Thom.” I accuse, still not ready to make peace. After all, I was just a pump or two away from orgasm when he stomped into our tiny house, and I’m still strung tight and in need of release.

“Well, el tonto decided to bring Leevy with him, and as was to expected, she complained about being bored, and not understanding soccer, and why did we picked such a loud bar to hang out. At the end, he took her home like a whipped puppy.” He says scowling, but for all of Gale’s usual bravado and broodiness, I can hear the edge of longing and envy in his voice. “I mean, who expects a sports bar to be quiet?” He rolls his eyes in annoyance, but I see the flicker of hurt and loneliness deep in his gray eyes.

Gale rakes his fingers through his dark hair, and finally plops the pizza box on the coffee table.

“I’m gonna get some plates. You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to. I won’t hold it against you if you rather go back to your previous activities… in your room of course.” He eyes me and I’m finally not so mad at him.

“Hey, I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” offers Peeta in his usual jovial tone. “I got a Twinkie while in the road, but that was hours ago. I could eat a slice or two. What did you bring?” And then he sits on the couch popping the box open and giving Gale a reassuring smile.

Gale sits next to my boyfriend when the latter just grabs a slice of pizza from the box and starts eating, plates forgotten. But I wasn’t raised in a barn, so I go fetch napkins and some beers after rolling my eyes at the pair catching up in the living room, as we hadn’t been walked in fornicating in that very room 15 minutes ago.

I can hear them through the walls. The TV starts on, some sport or another while they exchange small talk.

Then Peeta chuckles, and I hear him say, “Yeah man, she’s pretty ticked. I knew you were in danger the second the Spanish started flooding out.”

Gale makes some kind of remark with his mouth full, so I only catch the end tail of his response. “... she does only speak Spanish when she’s pissed off. I swear she picked that up from my Ma. Her old man never said an unkind word in Spanish to anyone.”

“Well, her father was a very kind man, even to people as abrasive and nasty as my mother.”

And that’s it. My temper gets doused with the memory of my father’s kind smile, and I’m ready to cut Gale some slack. Is not his fault he’s got nobody else to hang out. His fiancée of two years dumped him out of the blue and instead of letting the ordeal sour him to the core like I know I would’ve, he’s tried to keep himself busy and healthy, if a bit clingy at times.

I come into the room bearing drinks and napkins, and I’m met with smiles from my two favorite guys in the whole wide world.

“Cerveza, asshole?” I offer the bottle of beer to Gale. There’s no bite in my tone, so he knows we’re pretty good now.

“Gracias, Catnip. You’re the best.”

“Truly are!” Agrees Peeta taking his own bottle.

And we eat, watching some ESPN recap of the week.

Later, while Peeta and I lay in bed spent and sweaty after our third round, he says softly into my hair, bringing me back to the surface of wakefulness.

“I think we should set Gale up with Delly.” He says twirling a lock of my hair around his fingers.

“Delly?” I ask groggily.

“Yeah. Cartwright? You remember her from school? She was in our class in high school.”

“I know who Smiley Delly is.” I snap.

Peeta looks at me sideways, as if scared of my reaction, but he just interrupted my falling asleep after a glorious orgasm to discuss Gale and his social life, or lack thereof. Plus, I may be a tad jealous of Delly Cartwright. She’s probably the nicest person I’ve ever met, always smiling and kind and my complete opposite both in personality and physically. Where I’m olive skinned and grey eyed, she’s blonde and pale and plump. A girl that would match Peeta better any day of the week, though I’ve worked too hard to let go of my personal hang-ups to drag them up again, so I just clamp my lips and say nothing more.

After a moment of silence, Peeta risks continuing his line of thought. “So, yeah. I was thinking that we should set them up on a date or something.” He looks at me trying to gauge my reaction while mull this idea over quietly. “She’s home for good, you know. The guy she was dating in college was a real jerk, Cato Jurgen. He did a number on her, planting this ideas of inadequacy and self doubt. I feel bad for her. Anyway, I think she could use to meet a nice guy, like Gale.”

For some reason, Peeta sounds kind of hopeful.

I give him a look and ask. “How do you know so much about Delly Cartwright’s love life? I knew you were friends in high school, but she went to a different college than yours.” I’m trying to tamp down my ever growing jealousy by reminding myself he’s trying to set the girl up with Gale. He wouldn’t be doing that if he was interested in her himself. He’s just nice.

“We were in the same connecting flight back home.” He says easily. “We talked a lot at the airport, but her brother was waiting for her when we arrived here and she left right away.”

I can’t find fault on two childhood friends catching up during an innocent encounter at the airport.

“Fine. You give her a call and I’ll talk to Gale. But I can’t guarantee he’s gonna like it, or even agree to come.” I warn, but Peeta is smiling brightly at me, as if I’ve given him an early Christmas present.

He kisses me happily. “Thank you, Katniss! I promise everything will be great. You just wait and see!” He beams… but, things don’t go exactly as planned, and our first double date is a bit of a disaster.

 

* * *

 

Gale and I pile up into Peeta’s car and head over to the restaurant where Delly has agreed to meet us. We figured it was best to give her the option of leaving early if things went south with Gale, because we never know with sourpuss how things are going to go.

Ever since his breakup, Gale has been clingy and needy. So unlike himself, really. My cousin can be stoic and proud and a tad broody, but this is a first with him. I’d be okay with him hanging out with us, if he’d stop getting progressively moody everytime Peeta and I let him tag along. Makes me wanna strangle him with the cord of his own hunting bow.

“So, Who did you say we’re meeting again?” Gale asks breaking the pleasant silence in the car as soon as Peeta reached for my hand over the center console.

I scowl at him through the rearview mirror, but Peeta answers before any scalding words have a chance to leave my mouth.

“My friend Delly. Her father owns the shoe shop on Merchant Street.”

Gale wrinkles his nose and I’m about to pre-antively rip him a new a-hole for whatever he’s about to say.

There’s an unspoken social divide in town. The people from Merchant Street are very well off and insist on keeping certain advantages over the people from the area of town called The Seam, where most families work as coal miners. People like Gale and I, except my mother was from Merchant Street, and weirdly enough people’s gotten used to me coming and going they don’t even bat an eyelash at me anymore. Gale still distrust their lot, except for Peeta that is, because like my sister, nobody can really help to genuinely like them.

“She’s cool, though. She’s got a very good heart and her own opinions and ideas.” Says Peeta conversationally. But his eyes are too intense to not be a calculated comment. I don’t comment on it.

“If you say so.” Says Gale after a moment, relaxing back into his sit behind me.

When we arrive to the restaurant I’m surprise to see that the image of Delly Cartwright I had in my head has changed pretty drastically over the years. The young woman that greets us as we walk into the restaurant lobby looks like a bombshell, with curves, dips and swells in all the right places and healthy, real-size amount of meat on her bones. I remember her hair being a tad yellowish and frizzy, but now is shorter, and uniform dark blonde and seems she’s managed to put her curly hair under her control at last. Her skin is smooth and rosy, instead of the pasty pale I remember from high school, yet one feature of hers has not change one smidge: her friendly smile.

Plump red lips, frame white straight teeth in a grin that comes way too easily to her face.

Gale is scowling.

“Hey Dells!” Peeta calls enthusiastically.

If he wasn’t holding my hand so possessively, I’d be burning in jealousy right this second, but then he’s pulling me tight against his chest as he officially introduces us to one another, and I squeak when instead of shaking my hand like a normal person, the blonde takes my hand and pulls me in for a tight hug, as if we were long time friends meeting after years apart.

“Katniss!” She squeals happily. “It’s so good to see you! Oh my gosh, I remember in high school when you won that archery competition, and everyone was so in awe at how cool and great you were! It’s crazy, Peety’s dream of talking to you finally came true!”

“What?” I say incredulously with a nervous laugh. “I’ve never heard of any of it this way.” I mumble to some point over her shoulder.

“Yeah, well, Catnip is truly great with a bow.” Supplies Gale eyeing Delly suspiciously.

I could kick him in the shin right now!

“She’s the best.” Says Peeta staring at me like a lovesick puppy, and suddenly I feel ridiculous for even entertaining the thought that he may be interested in anybody else, when I know for a fact, he’s worked his ass off to woe me, and court me, like a proper gentleman in love.

I kiss him sweetly on the lips and Gale groans weakly. I glare at him, but Delly is actually clapping like an excited little kid.

I’m not sure what was Peeta thinking, but these two couldn’t be any more opposite if they tried. I don’t see how any of this could even work between them.

The rest of dinner proceeds strangely, with most of the conversation provided by Peeta and Delly and a few interjections from me. Gale remains dull and moody and after about 30 minutes, the unthinkable happens.

Fulvia Cardew, Gale’s ex, walks in on the arm of her septuagenarian new beau, Plutarch Heavensbee, for whom she’d left Gale in the first place.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if they weren’t sucking faces in the middle of the restaurant, exposing everyone to their nauseating hormonal display. It’s just so gross, that I feel like I’m gonna be sick.

I don’t catch how any of this is affecting Gale until it’s too late.

His hands clench into fists, his brow furrows in anger and hurt and maybe some disgust as well, and suddenly he’s springing up out of his seat. He knocks down his chair loudly, and in his haste to… I know exactly what he was standing for, really, but he backs into a passing waiter, and steps on his foot. The guy loses his balance and we all freeze, watching the tray of drinks careen down as in slow motion, bathing poor Delly in every beverage that poor waiter was about to serve.

Delly only emits this yelping sound, so low I would’ve totally miss it were I hadn’t been staring straight at her.

“Fuck!” Gale curses under his breath and starts trying to dry poor Delly with his cloth napkin that had fallen from his lap when he stood up. But the cloth is quickly drenched and he starts pulling on the table cloth next to pat dry Delly’s formerly white dress with it.

Delly tries to slap Gale’s hands away from her chest and shoulders, though I doubt he’s trying to cop a field as flustered as he is.

Peeta is also trying to help, by trying to pull Gale away, while the waiter picks ice cubes from Delly’s curls, crying apologies as he goes.

“I’m okay.” Delly says in this watery voice that betrays how clearly she’s ‘not’ okay. “Really. I’m fine. I— I’ll just… I…”

I’m not sure where this bravery comes from, but I’m on my feet and pulling her up to stand. “Restroom!” I demand to the waiter spouting apologies as a manager joins the hullabaloo and I swear my scowl comes in handy at moments like this, because we are being escorted to the lady’s room by the manager herself and she’s offering all kinds of deals, from free desserts to a change of clothes for Delly plus a $30 gift card for another visit.

In a moment, Delly is wearing a t-shirt with the logo of the restaurant and a pair of sweats I’m not sure where the manager pull them out of. I’m wondering if she’s gonna have to pay an employee for a new pair of sweatpants after this.

Delly sits on the toilet lid and puts her elbows on her knees to hide her face behind her hands. I’m glad she left the stall door open, because otherwise I’d be standing like an idiot on the other side without knowing what to do. This is still awkward and I’m still clueless, but I pat her on the back soothingly, thinking of what would I be doing if this was my sister Prim instead of Delly Cartwright.

“Are you okay?” I ask and wince. She’s clearly weeping quietly into her hands.

But Delly nods and picks up her head. Her blue eyes are red-rimmed and damp. “Yeah. I’m okay. You have been so sweet to me tonight.” She says apologetically.

“No, Delly. I— I’m so sorry.” I tell her helplessly.

“That was my favorite dress.” She says making a face at the plastic bag currently storing the pretty white dress she had on when we arrived. It’s stained with red wine, soda products and iced coffee.

“Well, maybe we can salvage it. Tia Hazelle, that’s my aunt, Gale’s mother. She owns a dry cleaning shop in The Seam. I’m sure she’ll take care of it for free. After all, it was kind of Gale’s fault.” I shrug trying to sound soothing. I rub her back once more and take the bag.

Delly gives me a wry, watery smile. “Yeah, I guess Gale caused this debacle by tripping on that poor waiter.” She chuckles impressing me with her ability to bounce back so quickly. “We were having the loveliest of times and he suddenly…” She makes a hand gesture signifying an explosion while widening her baby blue eyes comically. “What was that about?”

I sigh. “His ex-fiancée walked in with her new guy’s tongue down her throat.” I say grimacing.

“Oh? That woman with that old coot Plutarch Heavensbee?” She asks shaking her head sadly. Plutarch is a bit of a celebrity in our small county, with a televised talk show in our local channel. “I get it now. That was disgusting.”

“I know!” I agree wholeheartedly.

“It was like a train wreck. Awful, but you couldn’t look away.” Her eyes go round again.

I chuckle. A lot.

Delly Cartwright is alright, I think.

“Come on. The guys are probably going crazy wondering what happened to us, and we can’t deprive the rest of the restaurant a peek of your new outfit.”

We make it back to the table, and I’m only half surprised to see a couple of brown paper bags with the logo of the restaurant on the front, full to the brim with containers of food to-go. What I’m surprised about is the absence of Gale at the table and Peeta’s uncomfortable, forced smile.

“Where’s Gale?” I ask.

“Stepped outside for some fresh air. Shall we?” He offers leaving us no room to deny him.

“Mmm… I should go home,” Delly trails off.

“Nonsense!” I say surprising Peeta. “You’re coming to Tía Hazelle’s with us.” I declare handing her, her bag and cardigan. Let’s go.”

We catch sight of Fulvia sitting practically on Plutarch’s lap and completely oblivious to the disaster her presence caused to our small party.

“Bitch!”

Peeta and I whip our heads towards Delly in surprise at her whispered outburst.

“What? She is!” She Delly innocently, and then we’re all laughing heartily, because we were all thinking it anyways.

As soon as Gale sees us coming, he leaps up from the bench outside the restaurant and meets us.

“You okay?” He asks Delly with apprehension.

“I’m better now that I have dry clothes on. Thank you.”

“Here.” I shove the bag with Delly’s dress into Gale’s chest. “Take it to Tía Hazelle and have her clean it up for you. On your dime!” I hiss lowly.

Delly’s face turns pink in embarrassment. “I thought you were kidding, Katniss.” She snatches the bag from Gale’s hands. “I really don’t need it dry cleaned. I’ll just… spray it with Shout or some other stain remover. It’ll be okay.”

“No,” I take the bag from her and slam it on Gale’s hands. “Gale will graciously have it cleaned for you, and deliver it to your front door as a courtesy. Isn’t that right Gale?”

I grunt when he scowls at me ready to refuse. But I have one more ace under my sleeve.

“Or else I can take the dress myself to tía’s and tell her the whole story, about how Gale embarrassed her with his caveman manners. Acuérdate que la tía no te crió en una granja!”

My aunt would hear the story, be appalled by Fulvia and maybe even cuss her out, then the mortification of Gale’s actions will come, and her latina temper will rise to dangerous levels when I talk about the dress. She’ll call him right away and scream her go-to phrase: “I didn’t raise you in a barn!”

That does it! Gale is staring at me with disbelief and fear.

“You wouldn’t! “

“Try me!”

He won’t. He knows I can be as stubborn as he and more. At the end, he took the dress grumbling about coercion and unfairness, as if anything tonight has been fair to Delly.

 

* * *

 

Gale slams the door to our shared two bedroom home and crosses the living room in three long strides while muttering under his breath something I barely catch about “entitled merchant daughters,” and “wasting a perfectly good day,” and “Quien se ha creído ella?”

I finally look up from my book and ask. “Who?”

That seems to bring Gale out of his annoyed rantings, and his perplexed gray eyes land on me on the couch.

“What?” He asks. “Where’s Peeta?”

“Bakery. He had to work and see his family at some point.” I shrug. “His Mother has been her usual insufferable self, calling every time he’s not home to ‘check on him’. I swear, the woman would put a chastity belt on him if she could. Sometimes I’m tempted to toss out my pills and get pregnant out of spite, but then I realize how wrong that’ll be tithe baby, and just fantasize about the day people call ‘Mrs. Mellark’ and the witch turns around, just to realize it’s me they’re referring to and not her…” I sigh.

“I thought you didn’t wanna get married.” He deadpans plopping down next to me.

“Meh.” I shrug again. “I’m not choosing my bridesmaids dresses or anything, but if Peeta asks…” I leave it at that. “Now, stop changing the subject, and tell me who’s got your panties in a twist.”

Gale glares at me and I laugh shaking my head.

“Come on. You came in like a tornado snapping ‘who does she think she is?’. Who you mad about?” I cajole.

“That annoying Delly Cartwright.” He says the name like it’s a cuss word, and I have to smile at that.

“What’s wrong with Delly?” I ask going back to my book.

“Well, she came to pick up her freaking dress from Ma’s shop, and the little sneak weaseled her way into my Ma’s naive, sweet side. Now they’re best pals, and Ma won’t stop praising every freaking thing Delly ‘the weasel’ Cartwright does!” He shakes his head. “Ma invited her to our annual Christmas dinner! Delly’s such an entitled brat!”

“She’s the nicest person I know after Peeta.” I protest. “Plus is not like it's hard to get invited to Tía’s Christmas suppers. You know her, the more the merrier and ‘donde come uno, comen dos’, and all that jazz.” We really grew up under the belief that if ‘one could eat, two could share in the food’, so I’m not sure what’s  gotten into Gale.

“Then you go and I stay here! I’m done!”

“No. You owe your mother. Plus… it may be good for you, you know. Mingle with a person that’s so different from you, you may end up liking the girl!”

“Fat chance, but whatever. I’m going to bed. Got an early day tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s Sunday.” I remind him.

“Yeah…” He says already walking away. Then he stops right in front of his door and smirks at me, “It’s hunting day, but I guess you’re too soft for that kind of thing now.”

I throw him an accent pillow from the couch, but Gale ducks my projectile easily and slips inside his door chuckling.

“5 a.m sharp, Catnip. And don’t be late unless you wanna stay home!”

I throw him my slipper this time but he’s safely behind his door already.

Brat!

 

* * *

 

Christmas at my aunt Hazelle’s is always an event. We have a long standing tradition to come together on Christmas Eve and cook, sing villancicos, and drink homemade eggnog until we get sick of the stuff.

The women are loud and laugh often, while the men keep to themselves playing dominoes or rearranging furniture to fit the tables for supper after the food is ready.

We don’t have many little children in our family. Posy, Gale’s 10 year old sister, is the youngest in our brood, but the neighbors have plenty little kids to fill the connecting patios with laughter and games. It truly is a great time and a great experience.

Peeta has been a fixture of the festivities for the past three years, since plucking up the courage to finally come speak to me and officially introducing himself after what he assures me were years of distant infatuation. One look at him from Tia Hazelle, and she adopted him like a mother hen. Not even my mother was so quick to accept him as my boyfriend, despite having known his family personally before marrying my father and leaving behind her life in town.

Delly is a different case, but still similar enough that I feel a small sense of dejavú. She looks like a ‘cucaracha en baile de gallina’ as my abuelita would’ve put it. An out of place bug amongst things that could potentially eat it.

I go to get her to sit with me and Prim while we fold napkins and fill the salt and pepper shakers. We could use another set of hands anyway, since Gale drug Peeta away to be with the boys this year.

I have to bite back my laughter, since Gale’s 15 year old brother, Vick, is trying to put his moves on her and she’s clearly too stunned to react.

Vick rakes his fingers through his very dark hair, combing it back in a suave attempt.

“So, how about we dance after this?” Vick says using a hilariously bad seductive tone.

Delly’s eyes go round. Her perplexed baby blues find me, and then she’s mutely pleading with me to clue her in. I try to cover my mouth with my hand so no sounds come out.

“Dance?” She repeats unsure.

“Yes, baby. You and I, have an appointment with the dance floor—“

“The heck you think you’re doing, Vick? Stop harassing the lady.” Says Gale gruffly.

Vick gives him a withering stare in response. “Dude, if you ain’t busting a move, then let others try!”

“Beat it, dork.” They stare at each other for a long moment.   

Vick turns to Delly and winks. 

“Save me a dance, beautiful.” The twerp uses this smarmy tone that almost causes me to snort.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” Says Delly in a half amused, half suspicious voice. When Vick is finally gone, she turnes to Gale. “Thank you. Your brother seems to be very confident, huh?”

“Yeah, let's just stop right there.” Gale says ruining the moment. “We’re not friends, and I’m not sure I like you around my family, my mother didn’t invite you here so you can be entertained by them. So…” he trails off and I could punch him for the way Delly’s pretty face sours. I had no idea it could do that.

“Fine, Gale. I’m not sure what’s your problem with me, but I’m fed up with your snarky remarks towards me. Enough is enough!”

“What do you mean you don’t know what my problem is? You being here, probably storing away things to make fun of my family to your merchant friends, while my mother has so naively let you in. That’s my problem.” He says dryly.

“It is your problem, for real, because I have never given you an indication I would even consider making fun of such wonderful people. You don’t know anything about me, yet you assume merchants are this mean people out to get you. Guess what? We are not! We don’t care! So grow up and stop vilifying me for something only happening in your head. I’m not waiting for a chance to stab you in the back. Now if you excuse me, I gotta call an Uber so I can go home.”

I’m about to step in, but Gale’s mother has heard the whole thing and she’s as swift as a dark horse of punishment, descending unto to earth to rip her son a new one. Of course, my aunt pulls him aside for his telling off.

I see Peeta follow Delly and wave to him, letting him know I’ll be waiting here, but he can take his time comforting his friend. Soon after, Gale’s stalking outside, scowling mightily, and that’s the last I hear from him for the night.

Peeta walks in and only says that Delly got into her Uber, right as Gale came out of the house, then Gale himself hopped into his car and drove off. I guess I’ll talk to him tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

 

Peeta and I stumble up to the house drunk on each other, kissing in a frenzy, impatient hands pulling and grabbing equally at flesh and cloth, and we finally spill inside the house, just to abruptly halt at the entrance hall, because the distinct smell of sex and the unmistakable sounds of pleasure and flesh slapping together is already permeating the room, and Peeta and I didn’t cause the situation this time around.

My boyfriend and I share a quizzical look with one another before I grimace and look at the obscured living room for what I know is a spectacle waiting for me.

“Gale… I hope you’re decent. Peeta and I are coming through, and we will try our best to not look, but—“

There’s a dull thud of heavy bodies falling on the floor behind the couch, and then we hear it. The startled squeak of surprise in a voice too familiar.

“Delly?” Asks Peeta stepping further into the room.

“Fuck! Do you guys mind?” Hisses Gale just as Delly mutters a weak, “Hi, Peeta.”

“We don’t mind at all… come on Peeta.” I pull on his arm and he follows willingly, still surprised but a small smile is starting to curl his lips.

“Night Dells.” Peeta calls out.

“You too Peet…” she responds.

I can feel more than hear the laughter raking through Peeta’s body, and I know tomorrow Gale and Delly will pay dearly for tonight, which prompts me to shout out before barricading herself into the safety of my room.

“Remember to ‘sanitize the couch’ after you’re done Gale! And by the way, payback is a bitch, isn’t it?!” I laugh behind closed doors, right before Peeta claims my mouth and I stop wondering how did Delly ended up in my living room bouncing on Gale’s groin after fleeing Hazelle’s in an Uber?

 

* * *

 

 

“I chased down the Uber.” Says Gale a bit uncomfortable the next morning.

“He practically ripped off the door of the car when I got dropped off at my parents’ place.” Supplies Delly blushing but smiling.

“Anywho. I kinda demanded she spoke to me and let me apologize.”

“I told him to go to Hell!” Smiles Delly so brightly and then they share a nauseatingly sweet glance between the two and intertwine arms on the breakfast nook table.

“Yes, she did. That’s when I realized there was an insane amount of mistletoe hanging on the awning of her folk’s front porch. And you know how I am about traditions… it was just the encouragement I needed to follow through with something I already wanted to do: crush her foul little mouth with mine,”

“The thing is, that before said kiss happened, my brother’s dog came out from around the house. And that dog is chunky piece of mischief any given day.”

“I got trampled by a freaking beagle.” Gale deadpans.

“It was cute.”

“It was not!”

“It got me here…” she offers shyly.

“That it did!” Gale smirks. “I hurt my hand when I tried to break my fall,” He lifts his bandaged hand to me. It looks swollen. And I’m not the nurse in my family, but I can see he has a sizeable gash in the middle of his palm. “It’s still a bit sore and tender.”

“You poor thing!” Delly cries out and kisses the top of his hand.

I refrain from puking. “You should go see my mother, or at least Prim for that hand.”

Gale’s eyes widened, “Y que piense que no aprecio su ayuda? No la quiero ofender!” He says through gritted teeth glancing meaningfully at Delly.

I roll my eyes. Ignoring how rude it is to switch languages on someone in the middle of a conversation, I say, “No la vas a ofender tan solo por dejar que tú tía revise esa herida.”

“Katniss is right you know. I won’t be offended if you let your aunt, who’s a nurse, take a look at your cut.”

Both me and Gale turn to look at Delly astonished.

“You know español?” Gale asks in a voice full of wonder and awe, and maybe growing adoration as well.

Delly blushes. Clears her throat. “Peeta and I took Spanish courses in college. For different reasons though.” Her blue eyes bounce between Gale’s and mine. “He wanted to be able to gossip with his girlfriend in her father’s language, and I just wanted to be able to speak to the parents of my Latino students without barriers. My accent is atrocious, but I’m okay. I’m just shy of fluent actually.” She shrugs.

Now I’m in awe as well. Delly teaches Special Ed children and back in Capitol City where she used to live, there’s a pretty big Latino community. I’m amazed she’d go to those lengths to help her students, but I think Gale is ready to propose marriage to her, judging by the way he’s looking at her, like she hung the moon on the sky.

“You’re amazing.” He says with unadulterated infatuation. She grins at him clearly pleased.

I pull out my phone from my pants pocket, and snap a picture. Both of them look at me as if brought out of their trance and back to the present suddenly.

“This is for Peeta who had to work early today. But I’m also saving it so I can have an embarrassing image of this moment for my speech slideshow.” I say typing out a text and hitting send on the picture. I pocket the phone again and leap out of my stool.

“What slideshow?” Asks Delly wanly.

“Better yet, what speech?” Gale presses firmly. 

“Oh, the one I’m gonna give during your Best Maid toast at your wedding reception.”

I leave them both with a mixture of “what?” and “come again?” In the air. Also, so much blushing and shy glances, I’m sure they will be first to get hitch. Although I know for a fact, Peeta is been carrying around a tiny black box in his pocket for the last week… poor thing thinks he’s slick, but his nervousness gives him away every time he fumbles with the box in his pocket, is just too cute to call him out on it. I’m just waiting for him to pluck up the courage and ask me already, my answer has already been decided anyway.

I smile to myself, despite of how the season started, it’s been a great Christmas for Gale and all of us so far.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas people!
> 
> So I made them non-descript Latinos, and most Spanish dialogue is quickly followed by a translation in the text. 
> 
> Villancicos are the equivalent of Spanish Christmas carols, because we do have our own traditional Christmas music people. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed my little story. Have a safe, happy Christmas. Hugs to all!


End file.
